SPORTS REPORTER

The new season of the Dhaka First Division Cricket League was inaugurated in a jovial mood yesterday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. However, the mood was different elsewhere as four teams no showed their respective matches at other venues while cricketers who are suffering because of the conflict between the board and clubs protested right outside the gates in Mirpur.

The four teams who did not turn up and will get relegated as per the by-laws according to the officials, are -- Partex Sporting Club, Gazi Tyres Cricket Academy, Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Amber Sporting Club.

Gazi gave a walkover to Dhaka United Sporting Club at BKSP Ground 3. Partex Sporting Club did not show up for their match against Baridhara Dazzlers at PKSP, while neither Kalabagan nor Amber turned up for their match at BKSP Ground 4.

“Since it’s a case of walkover, they are out of the tournament,” a CCDM official told The Daily Star.

“There will be no relegation league this time around. If a team wants to participate later, that’s a separate issue… But they can’t return under normal procedure,” he added.

Match referee Sujit Kumar, who was supposed to officiate the match at BKSP 3, told The Daily Star that the officials waited till 10:15am for the teams to turn up before deciding to leave. The matches were scheduled to begin at 9:00am.

The four teams that did not show up belong to the 44 clubs who are boycotting all domestic leagues, alleging irregularities in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) elections in October. There are four more clubs in this 20-team league who are part of the protesting outfits.

Meanwhile, some 60 cricketers staged a human chain at Gate 2 of the Mirpur Stadium, protesting the ongoing conflict, which has robbed them of the opportunity to compete.

Inside the venue, Bangladesh Police Cricket Club beat Old DOHS Sports Club by eight wickets. In Aminbazar, Dhanmondi Sports Club won by 57 runs against Lalmatia Club.